Bolojan: Romania should avoid ending up in a situation where it has to conclude an agreement with the IMF  

The interim president, Ilie Bolojan appreciates that Romania should avoid the situation where it has to conclude an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The opinion was expressed during a press conference on Wednesday at the Cotroceni palace after Bolojan was asked if he supported the point of view of the former president Traian Basescu regarding the necessity of such an agreement.'It is good for our country to avoid such a situation, because that would mean that our backs are against the wall. It is good for those in positions of responsibility to work in such a way that we don't end up with our backs against the wall, because that means higher costs, greater difficulties and I believe that we have this capacity, rational people, to see what is happening and to take measures in time,' said Bolojan. He admitted that during the pre-electoral period there was ‘no desire’ for budgetary corrections, but he mentioned that such measures had to taken ‘ in time’ in the previous years.'When you're in public office, you don't do what's good, you do what's right. But at the same time, it is true that no one in any country, in pre-election periods, has the appetite to take budget correction measures. If we do not recognise these things, we are being hypocritical. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't have taken the necessary measures in time, in the past years, for example', Mr Bolojan said.   The interim president pleaded for the reduction of ‘inefficient’ expenses and collection of taxes. Otherwise, there is the risk of increased taxes and duties, he said.'We have, for example, significant amounts of VAT that we don't collect. And if these things don't get done or don't work, whoever is in government will be put in the position of having to increase taxes. And I think this is a valid point, no matter which government comes and who will be prime minister. Moreover, it is possible that the new government, regardless of who will compose it, will be put in the situation, because of the large budget deficits, not to act in this chronological order, because, in general, cutting expenditure takes time, increasing the budget revenues, through better activity of the National Revenue Agency, for example, is not done from one day to the next, and the order of measures might be different. I hope we don't end up in this situation', Bolojan said.